The Tesla Model Y Long Range RWD is now on sale on the company’s website. It costs $46,630 and has a range of 320 miles. Tesla is ending the 260-mile Standard Range RWD, the least expensive Model Y model. However, owners can still buy part of its software-locked range. This year, the company that makes EVs has been quickly changing the prices of its goods; some changes have happened just a few weeks apart. Tesla is used to having products and prices change for no reason. In addition, at the start of May, a new dual feature was shown: one Model Y trim was replaced, and a software-locked range was shown in another. First, Tesla switched out the Standard Range RWD model for the Long Range RWD model of version Y. With a range of 320 miles and a price tag of $46,630, the new Long Range variant is available. It has rear-wheel drive. The Long Range AWD model costs $49,630 and has a 310-mile range, but this new variant will be cheaper. As expected, the all-wheel-drive version goes from 0 to 60 mph a little faster (48 seconds vs. 6.5 seconds for the Long Range RWD). So, the main thing that buyers need to decide is whether they live in an area that benefits from AWD. For an extra $3000, the Model Y adds this feature. The second, much less expected change to the Model Y lineup will focus on the base Model Y, which is also known as the Standard Range RWD or the 260-mile Model Y. Elon Musk has said that people who pay for it will be able to get more range. This version has been keeping some extra range. In a post on the X platform, which used to be Twitter, the Tesla CEO said that the “260-mile” range Model Ys that have been built in the past few months have an extra range that can be unlocked for $1500 to $2000. Depending on the battery cells you have, this extra range gives you 40 to 60 miles. The CEO made it clear that this move would only happen once approval from the right authorities was obtained. For a small fee, owners can change their 260-mile Y to a 320-mile one. EV consumers may think unlocking their software-locked range is worth the extra money, even if it doesn’t maximize battery life. This is a fairly new practice that keeps batteries from breaking down in the future. In the end, not many Model Y owners will go on road trips where they have to use almost all of their battery power to get from one Supercharger to the next. However, this also shows a more recent and troubling trend among automakers: limiting important factory-installed features, like battery range, so they can sell “different” ranges with the same hardware. Even though car weights have sometimes shown that the same gear is there, Tesla hasn’t always been honest about how many kWh each of its trim levels can hold. Few experts are sure that if software-locked range becomes popular, automakers won’t be able to stop cars from going further out of range until they get paid for late membership fees. While this isn’t happening to Tesla right now, it’s easy to see it happening in the future as more car companies switch to subscription-based pricing. Autoweek has more.
